Priyanka Chopra On Being Able To Pick And Choose Films After Krrish: I Had Done Work Which Gave Me A Solid Foundation

Priyanka Chopra revealed how critical praise helped her guarantee her career as an actor in a workshop with actor Bhumi Pednekar at the 2023 Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.

Priyanka Chopra talked about her choice of films during Jio MAMI festival. ( Image Source :@priyankachopra/instagram )

New Delhi: After winning Miss World 2000, actress Priyanka Chopra made her cinematic debut in the 2002 Tamil film Thamizhan. The actor said that although though she had a great start in the film industry and later moved to Bollywood, it wasn't until the release of the 2006 movie Krrish that she was able to choose her own projects.

Priyanka revealed how critical praise helped her guarantee her career as an actor in a workshop with actor Bhumi Pednekar at the 2023 Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.

The Barfi actor said, "Many, many films later," in response to Bhumi's question about when she was able to select her own films. She continued, "I think around the first Krrish maybe, somewhere there. Before that, there was always, ‘Oh my God, what’s the next one I am going to do? What opportunity is going to come to me?’ I picked from what came to me.”

The actress, who is now a global star and a successful actor in Hollywood, said, "After the first Krrish, because I had just done Aitraaz as well, I had done work which gave me a solid foundation. I got critical acclaim. I had people telling me that I knew my job even though I didn’t know that I knew my job. But that was a very clear time when I started seeking work that would challenge me.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Priyanka Chopra's breakthrough performance, however, came when she acted in the Madhur Bhandarkar film Fashion, for which she was also awarded a National Award. Many advised Priyanka not to take the lead in a film centred towards women at the time.

"Fashion was a time when I took that decision. It was right around Krrish that Madhur sir and I met. At that time, I was told that ‘ladkiya female oriented roles apne career ke end mein karti hai National award ke liye. Tumhari to abhi abhi shuru hui hai. You have just done Krrish and Aitraaz, you are having such a moment. Why are you doing it (Fashion)? (Girls do female-oriented roles towards the end of their careers to get a National award. You have just started. Why are you doing it?) Uss zamane mein hota bhi nahi tha itna. (In that era, this was not common). This is early 2005 or 2006. But I just didn’t know any better,” she said.

For her role in Fashion, Priyanka Chopra took home the National Film Award for Best Actress. Priyanka suggested during the masterclass that Madhur Bhandarkar might have known what the movie would accomplish.

Priyanka Chopra will next be seen alongside Idris Elba and John Cena in the Hollywood film 'Heads Of State.'